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Monthly Archives: December 2016

Before Baby P arrived, one challenging experience was packing for the hospital for the first time. I didn’t want to look like we were moving in, but I didn’t want to forget anything important. After much research, and surveying experienced moms, I packed accordingly.

I did pack for a vaginal birth, but I did end up having a c-section. Everything I list below is for my stay after the c-section.

When we finished, we packed all of our items in one carry-on wheeled bag and one half-full backpack:

A going home dress: I highly recommend a dress heading home. I definitely didn’t want to mess with pants this early postpartum. Also make sure you have a nursing-friendly under garment to wear. Old Navy | Tory Burch | Medela

Extra long phone charger: The 10ft charger came in handy. My phone could charge and still reach my bed. Just Wireless

I also had a small toiletries bag:

Small mirror: This came in very handy when putting in my contacts and throwing on makeup. Amazon

Makeup bag: I included tinted moisturizer, blush, eyeliner, and mascara. It really felt good to put some make up on when heading home. It made me feel/look like me after spending so much time in the hospital.

Face-cleansing wipes: This came in handy when I stayed in bed and still wanted to feel fresh. Neutrogena

Different pants: He brought comfy shorts, sweatpants, khaki shorts, and jeans. He wanted to be prepared for any type of weather. This ended up being good because I kept the room VERY cold! Nike | Hurley | Dockers

A last-minute sweatshirt: This came in very handy. I don’t think he ever took it off.

The Backpack (filled with Baby P’s items):

Three sets of newborn clothes: This included an outfit with matching beanie and socks.

Mittens for hands

Three swaddle blankets

Two burp cloths

Our nice camera for snapping all our visitors

In the Car:

We left some items in the car in case we needed them. Fortunately, we were glad we did! We didn’t bring these things with us initially, but Super Dad went and got them as needed:

A blanket for Dad’s bed: This is a must! The hospital provided sheets for Dad’s bed, but with the room being so cold, he needed more coverage!

Two pillows for Mom and Dad: It was nice having our own pillows, especially after staying at the hospital so long.

Baby P’s carrier: We didn’t need this until we left the hospital, so we left it in the car. Britax

An extra bag: We actually didn’t end up using this extra bag because everything fit in the backpack. We took all of the items the hospital provided us – I mean we already paid for it! This included the leftover diapers and wipes, the suction bulb, and more. If you don’t have any room left in your bags, I recommend keeping a spare bag in the car to pack when leaving the hospital.

I hope these lists help any future first-time moms when packing, and I wish you all the most wonderful experience with your labor and delivery!

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Something fun my little family does each year is bake and decorate sugar cookies. We listen to Christmas music, eat too much dough, and we have a blast. We are definitely not artists, but it’s a fun and yummy tradition!

Sugar Cookies

1 ½ cup of powdered sugar

1 egg

½ teaspoon of almond extract

1 teaspoon of cream of tartar

1 cup of margarine

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 ½ cup of flour

Cream sugar and margarine; mix in eggs and flavorings. Stir in dry ingredients. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. Divide and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Cut and bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes.

Frost with icing: one part powdered sugar and one part milk. Mix in food coloring. Stir.

Wishing y’all a Merry Christmas!

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On Christmas Eve every year, my family plays this great game while we wait to get ready for the candlelight service at our church. It’s called the 12 Days of Christmas, and I want to share it with you!

In preparation for the game, everyone playing brings some gifts. They could be funny gifts, really good gifts, gifts from the dollar bin at Target, a Starbucks gift card….well you get the picture! This year, I am bringing some Bath and Body Works items, some funny head/hat lamps, some board games, some really good tools, and some funny things I found at the dollar bin. You then wrap up the gifts, so you can’t tell what it is without unwrapping. I like to wrap some very fancy, and some I just put in a gift bag and tape closed. This makes it a mind game on what kind of gift is inside.

When it comes time to play, everyone gathers together in a circle and puts the gifts they brought in the middle.

To play the game, someone will need to tear pieces of paper and write a word from the “12 Days of Christmas” song. You will need a piece of paper for each person playing. We like to put words on the paper that are from the 5th day of Christmas or less. For example, we typically write the following words on our pieces of paper:

Christmas

Day

Love

Tree

Turtle

French

Four

Golden

On

Partridge

Hens

Birds

Rings

By using these words, the game starts faster and there are more opportunities for everyone to grab a gift.

Once you wrote on the paper, you will put all of the pieces in a bowl and have everyone playing draw a word.

-THE GAME WILL NOW BEGIN-

Then pull up the “12 Days of Christmas” song, and have someone sing (or in our case read) the song.

When the player’s word on their paper is said in the song, they go pick a gift from the middle of the circle. The song cannot stop, so there is no time to sit and pick each gift. Only one gift may be picked at a time. They also DO NOT open the gift until the song is over.

Once the gifts are gone in the middle of the circle, players must then steal a gift from other players.

The stealing keeps going until the song is completely over. Once the song is over, the players open all of the gifts they have. There are some laughs when opening, and of course trading when everything is said and done.

Our family always has a blast, and we have several memories from the game each year. Maybe this can be a new tradition with you and your loved ones! Have fun!

These last weeks flew by. I am learning so much about myself, parenthood, and how strong my husband and I are as a team. My husband is SUCH a great dad! He keeps me going and is so positive with everything.

I can’t wait to share some of my knowledge with you, as well as getting tips from all you experienced parents out there!